With the support of U.S. Representative Bill Posey (R-Rockledge), the House of Representatives passed the Regulatory Accountability Act (H.R. 5), legislation to eliminate overly burdensome red tape and regulations that are stifling job creation, innovation, and economic growth. Included in the bill was Rep. Posey’s amendment to add more transparency to the federal rule making process by requiring the timely public disclosure of peer reviews of scientific information used to justify proposed regulations.

“The peer review process has long been recognized as fundamental to ensuring the quality, integrity, and objectivity of scientific findings. Unfortunately, when peer reviews of scientific research that a federal agency has relied on to craft new regulations return unfavorable comments, some agencies have acted to silence or hide the critiques from the public,” said Rep. Posey. “My amendment will prevent a federal agency from shielding from public view the existence of information that is central to evaluating a proposed rule. Individuals and businesses affected by new regulations deserve to be certain the science behind those regulations is of the highest quality.”

Specifically, Rep. Posey’s transparency amendment will help ensure fairness in federal rulemaking by requiring that the public be provided with a clear timeline for disclosure of any influential scientific information. Furthermore, the amendment will require agencies to offer an explanation if they revise the anticipated public release date of relevant studies or peer reviews. Posey said we cannot continue to allow federal agencies to march toward a predetermined outcome, at the expense of sound science and policy.